Gold Mickey Mouse Platy

Gold Mickey Mouse Platy
(Xiphophorus maculatus)

QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 64-77° F, KH 10-25, pH 7.0-8.2
Max. Size: 2"
Color Form: Black, Orange
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Malaysia
Family: Poeciliidae

The Gold Mickey Mouse Platy is a beautiful, orange and black color variety of the popular Xiphophorus maculatus Platy. An iridescent black tail contrasts a bright orange body and a small blue spot behind the eyes. Through selective breeding, platies are now available in a wide range of new color and fin variations. The Gold Mickey Mouse Platy is a great example of an atypical color variation.
The Gold Mickey Mouse Platy adds brilliant color to the aquarium and are very easy to keep. These features make it a great fish for beginners and accomplished aquarists alike. The Gold Mickey Mouse Platy requires an aquarium of at least 10 gallons that is densely planted with hardy plants like Java Fern and Java Moss. The Gold Mickey Mouse Platy is a very peaceful fish and makes an excellent addition to the freshwater community aquarium. Any other peaceful fish can be housed with them.

The Gold Mickey Mouse Platy is a livebearer capable of reproducing at three to four months of age. The male is smaller and more brightly colored than the female, and can be distinguished by his gonopodium. The fry will most often reach maturity in a community aquarium.

The platy is an omnivore that will eat commercially prepared flaked foods and algae, as well as freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp.

from www.liveaquaria.com

Green Cobra Guppy

The Green Cobra Guppy is also called the Millions Fish and sometimes, simply the Guppy. It is one of the color variations of Poecilia reticulata guppy. The hardiness of the Green Cobra Guppy, as well as the fact that it matures quickly makes it an excellent fish for beginning hobbyists. The Green Cobra male has a vibrant green body with a snakeskin pattern. The tail fin is patterned with yellow and black.

The Green Cobra Guppy requires a tank with at least 20 gallons of water, and is very tolerant of changing tank conditions. Plants should be hardy varieties such as Java Fern and Java Moss that can handle the increased hardness in the tank. Other peaceful fish would make good tank mates.

The females in this pair are of an assorted variety; however, you can differentiate the males and females easily. The males are smaller in size, have brighter coloration, along with a bigger tail fin, and pointed anal fin. The females are larger in size with a duller coloration, have a rounded anal fin, as well as a pregnancy patch on the lower portion of the body. Ideally, the environment should have a covering of floating ferns and a breeding box to protect the fry. Adults may eat the fry if left to fend for themselves without the breeding box. The fry should be fed brine shrimp, micro food and pulverized flakes.

The Green Cobra Guppy is an omnivore and requires both algae-based foods as well as meaty foods. An algae-based flake food, along with freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp will provide guppies with the proper nutrition.

from www.liveaquaria.com

Golden White Cloud

The Golden White Cloud is a striking color variation of the White Cloud Mountain Minnow. This variety displays a beautiful gold body with red markings toward the tail and on each side of the head. The Golden White Cloud is a peaceful schooling fish that adds color and energy to the freshwater aquarium.

Also known as the White Cloud Mountain Minnow, this fish originates from the gorges of the White Cloud Mountains of China. This easy-to-keep minnow will do well in the community aquarium with other peaceful fish. The hardy and colorful Golden White Cloud adapts well to less-than-perfect water conditions, making it an ideal choice for beginning aquarists.

If kept in a school of eight or more, the Golden White Cloud will be more active and colorful. A school of Golden White Cloud Minnows gives you a burst of radiant yellow color to the upper and middle levels of your aquarium.

The Golden White Cloud spawns over plants in cool water. After hatching, about 36 hours after spawning, the fry should be fed small live foods such as newly hatched brine shrimp.

Golden White Clouds are omnivores and should be fed a diet of flake foods with plenty of vegetable matter, as well as freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifex.

from www.liveaquaria.com

Harlequin Rasbora

The Harlequin Rasbora is an extremely desirable aquarium addition thanks to its gorgeous metallic coloration and ease of care. It's not difficult to see why so many hobbyists treasure it. A large school of Harlequin Rasboras fill the upper areas of the aquarium with movement and color so lively and vibrant that even non-hobbyists marvel at the display.

The Harlequin Rasbora is easily identified by its characteristic black "pork chop" shaped patch and beautifully lustrous copper/orange body. The distinguishing triangular patch begins near the dorsal fin and comes to a point near the base of the caudal fin. The patch on the male Harlequin Rasbora is slightly rounded at the bottom with an extended tip. In contrast, the patch on the female Harlequin Rasbora is straight. The female Harlequin Rasbora is also larger than the male.

The Harlequin Rasbora does best in an established planted aquarium with open areas for swimming. The Harlequin Rasbora should be kept in schools of 8-10 individuals and housed with other small, peaceful fish. The mild nature of the Harlequin Rasbora makes it a great community fish.

Rasbora heteromorpha generally spawns on the undersides of broad-leaved plants. A breeding tank with shallow, warm, acidic, soft water with broad-leaved plants should be set up. To encourage spawning, pair a young (9-12 months old) female Harlequin Rasbora with a two-year old male and offer live food items. After spawning, remove the parents and keep the aquarium dark until the eggs hatch (after about 24 hours). Feed the fry infusoria.

An omnivore, the Harlequin Rasbora does well on a diet of prepared flake food, as well as freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifex.

from www.animal-world.com and www.liveaquaria.com

Green Tiger Barb

The Green Tiger Barb's main body is deep fluorescent green with silver/gold blotches and orange accented fins. They are a very lively, playful fish that prefers to be in schools.

They prefer a well-planted tank of at least 30 gallons with soft, slightly acidic water. Rocks and driftwood can be added to the aquarium, but leave plenty of space for swimming. The Green Tiger Barb is a very active fish that may pester or even nip the fins of larger, slower moving fish.

It is best, when trying to breed the Green Tiger Barb, to house a number of Barbs in the same aquarium until they pair off. After a pair has developed, the female will lay the eggs and the male will follow behind to fertilize. The fry will be free-swimming after about 5 days. Feed the fry newly hatched brine shrimp until large enough to accept crushed flake food.

The Green Tiger Barb needs to be fed a variety of foods including vegetables as well as meaty foods. Feed a quality flake food as well as live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp and bloodworms.

from www.animal-world.com and www.liveaquaria.com

Gold Longfin Danio

The Gold Longfin Danio is a long finned, gold color variety of the popular Zebra Danio. Its golden metallic body is highlighted with yellow stripes that run horizontally across its body. In addition to its attractive coloration, the Gold Longfin Danio boasts long elegant fins that flow behind as it glides gracefully across your aquarium.

Native to the Ganges region in Eastern India, wild Gold Longfin Danios are found in a variety of habitats, ranging from fast-moving streams to slow-moving, nearly stagnant ponds. In the home aquarium, this member of the Cyprinidae family prefers a well-planted aquarium with large, open swimming areas. For the best care, keep this peaceful fish in small schools. The Gold Longfin Danio gets along with other Danio species as well as other peaceful fish of the same size. Since the Gold Longfin Danio is an omnivore, feed it a varied diet of flake and frozen foods.

Male Gold Longfin Danios are generally more torpedo shaped, while females tend to have a larger belly. Generally, male Gold Longfin Danios spawn with and remain loyal to one female. A breeding pair should be placed in a breeding aquarium with fine-leaved plants for them to spawn over. Roughly 300-400 eggs are produced and hatch within two days. The fry should be fed small pieces of live foods, such as brine shrimp.

from www.liveaquaria.com

Gold Barb

The dazzling Gold Barb has been a treasured member of community aquariums for decades. The Gold Barb has a mostly gold-colored body with small, dark or black patches running down the lateral line. As the Gold Barb matures, the fin coloration develops into a striking red/orange. In addition to its gorgeous coloration, the Gold Barb boasts numerous desirable characteristics sure to please any beginning hobbyist.

The hardy Gold Barb tolerates a wide range of water parameters, maintains a relatively small size, and gets along with most tankmates. The Gold Barb is not as aggressive as other barbs and will fare well in community aquariums along with other peaceful, similarly sized, short-fin fish.

The Gold Barb is a social fish best kept in groups of 6 or more. As with other barb species, the female Gold Barb is fuller bodied than the male. Classified as an omnivore, the Gold Barb benefits from a varied diet of flake, pellet, and small frozen foods, such as mosquito larvae, daphnia, and brine shrimp.

from www.liveaquaria.com

Glowlight Tetra

The Glowlight Tetra glows like a lamp when lighting conditions are just right. The colorful, neon red/orange stripe shows up best when the aquarium lights are dimmed. For maximum visual effect keep Glowlight Tetras in groups.
The Glowlight Tetra is a very popular and hardy freshwater tetra. It originally came from the clear water streams of South America. This fish has a clear body with the exception of its signature bright neon red stripe running from the nose into the tail. Glowlight Tetras are a great addition to any soft water community aquarium.

Glowlight Tetras add beauty to a planted aquarium; the plants, in turn, will provide hiding places for the fish. Rocks and driftwood also help to mirror its natural habitat. It thrives in slightly acidic water and will do best when water parameters are kept constant. The Glowlight Tetras are a schooling fish and are very interesting to watch in action when kept in odd numbers of five or more.

To breed Glowlight Tetras, separate a pair into a "breeder tank" with no lighting at first, and then gradually increase it until spawning occurs. Water hardness should be less than 4 dKH and live food such as mosquito larvae are great inducers. Be sure to remove the adults after the eggs have been laid, as they will eat them. The eggs should hatch within 30 hours.

Glowlight Tetras will accept many small foods such as brine shrimp or daphnia, freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifex, micro pellet food, and a high quality flake food.

from www.liveaquaria.com